Fire
by stavie93
Summary: A new take on how Sawyer and Juliet ended up living together. Dharmatimes.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Here's a new one for you guys! I plan on this being just two chapters, but you never know. I hope you enjoy.

 **Disclaimer:** If Lost was mine there would have been an entire season devoted to Suliet.

Please, please read and review! It keeps me going and reviews make me incredibly happy!

Also, don't forget if you've got any Suliet ideas to send them my way!

 **Fire**

 **Chapter 1**

Sawyer and Miles were stuck on the overnight shift and had been for the past week. They were currently doing their nightly patrols along the pylons of the sonic fence.

"How'd we get stuck doin' graveyards while Jin gets the cushy nine-to-fives?" Miles whined as they walked back towards the jeep.

Sawyer rolled his eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd heard that question from Miles and every time he thought he'd heard the last of it the words spilled out of the Asian's mouth again. "I already told you. Horace thought it would be a good idea to rotate shifts. We've only got another week of this and then it'll be Jin's turn."

"Well it's stupid." Miles replied. "Jerry likes working over nights and he's doing mornings now. Our schedule was fine before. Why's Horace gotta stick his nose in our stuff?"

"Cuz we ain't got a head of security right now. Or do you not remember watching him get shot by hostiles?" He looked to Miles who said nothing. "I hear Horace is gonna pick a new one soon though. Maybe things will change then."

The two men reached the jeep and dropped their rifles into the back. Sawyer climbed into the driver's seat.

"If we get stuck with Radzinsky or Phil for a head I'm jumpin' off the nearest cliff." Miles exclaimed as he took his place in the passenger seat.

Sawyer chuckled as he started the vehicle. "You know what? Maybe it'll be you so we won't have ta listen to ya complain about the schedule anymore."

"That would be nice, wouldn't it?" Miles leaned his head back against the seat imagining what it would be like to make his own schedule and boss around not only Phil and Radzinsky, but Sawyer, too.

Sawyer pointed the jeep in the direction of the barracks and started driving.

They'd been in Dharmaville for nearly six months. The guys all shared a house while Juliet had her own not far away. All in all they were doing well and were content with their new lives. They spend most of their free time together, usually at Juliet's house. She kept her place a lot cleaner than the guys did. Jin simply couldn't always keep up with Miles and Sawyer's messes.

Jin missed Sun terribly, but found comfort in knowing she was finally off the island, presumably with their child. Like Jin, Juliet longed for her sister, but somehow being in the 70's made it all a little easier. This time there really was nothing she could do about her situation. Before all she'd wanted was to get off the island. Now even doing that wouldn't get her back to her sister. She knew she was losing hope of ever seeing her again, but she felt better knowing she'd done all she could to get back to her.

Jin, Juliet, Miles, and Sawyer were all becoming good friends and knew they could count on each other. Jin's English had already improved dramatically thanks to Juliet's help.

Juliet liked to remind Sawyer on occasion that his current house would one day be occupied by Ethan Rom, the fake beach crash survivor and kidnapper. She'd discovered that it creeped him out so she made sure to remind him of it every time he got on her nerves. When asked who one day would have her house Juliet discovered she didn't remember it being there in 2004.

Sawyer was still amazed at Juliet's mechanical abilities. He knew she could fix an engine faster than him, but he'd never admit that. He'd taken to calling her Toolbox Barbie when he ran into her at the motorpool. She cringed every time, but never said a thing. He loved it.

As the jeep barreled forward coming closer and closer to the barracks Sawyer scrunched up his nose. "Do you smell that?" He asked Miles.

The question brought Miles out of his imagination where he was currently implementing a new rule that forced Radzinsky to be his personal chauffeur around the island. He sniffed and looked around before pointing in the sky ahead of them. "Is that smoke?" He asked.

Sawyer followed Miles' finger and saw what looked like black clouds billowing upwards. "Shit. That's coming from the barracks!" He pushed harder on the accelerator and Miles held on as the jeep began flying past trees and bouncing over the uneven ground.

Sawyer slowed down as they entered the barracks to avoid running into a house. "Where's it at?" He asked. They'd lost the smoke as they entered the barracks.

"There!" Miles shouted, pointing to the next row of houses.

Sawyer turned a corner and saw it, a little yellow house with flames visible through the living room window. Smoke seemed to be pouring out of the home. As they got closer realization hit both men like a ton of bricks. "Juliet's house!" They both yelled.

Sawyer brought the jeep to a screeching halt and yelled at Miles as he jumped out of the vehicle. "Do you see her?" Both men looked around wildly. There was no sign of anyone anywhere. "Call it in and sound the alarm!" Sawyer called as he ran to Juliet's front door. He could hear Miles talk over the radio and the Dharma fire alarm started blaring overhead as he pushed open the door.

Sawyer took a step into the house and managed to call out Juliet's name once before being enveloped by smoke. His eyes stung, but he refused to close them. Flames lapped at his left side as they tried to take over more than the living room. He finally made it to the short hallway that let to the bathroom and bedroom.

"Juliet!" He croaked out between coughs as he got to the doorway of her bedroom.

Juliet had been sleeping soundly, but was pulled awake by the fire alarm. She sat up and immediately began coughing. She found she couldn't catch her breath. A figure appeared through the smoke, but she couldn't tell who it was. Smoke continued to fill her lungs instead of the oxygen she so desperately needed. She heard a man cough over the sound of her wheezing and she closed her eyes as strong arms enveloped her.

Sawyer found Juliet in bed. He tried to talk to her, but he couldn't make anything come out. He could hear her struggling to breathe as he scooped her up into his arms.

He wobbled slightly as he turned to face the doorway. The smoke was getting to him. Juliet's head rested against his shoulder and he buried his face into her hair in an attempt to get a break from the smoke. His next breath still came with a lungful of smoke, but the smell of her mango scented shampoo seemed to invigorate him.

Sawyer closed his eyes momentarily before maneuvering around the bed and into the hall. He held Juliet tightly against him and hoped his path to the front door wouldn't be blocked by flames.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Ok, I lied. It'll be three chapters! Enjoy!

A big thank you to **Alise** and **Love-oncers** for reviewing Chapter 1!

 **Disclaimer:** Lost is not mine. Also, all medical knowledge comes from Google so things may not be accurate.

Please read and review! Reviews make me extremely happy.

 **Fire**

 **Chapter 2**

At the sound of the fire alarm people rushed out of their houses to see what was going on. Horace and Jin found Miles standing in front of the burning house. He was staring at the doorway filled with smoke willing his friends to walk through it.

"What happened?" Horace yelled over the sound of the alarm.

"I don't know. We just got back and saw the smoke."

Jin looked around worriedly. "Jim? Juliet?" He asked.

"In there." Miles pointed to the house.

The heat coming from the building made it difficult for the men to stand close. The smoke was thick and heavy, but flames could be seen occasionally through the window and open door. The fire seemed to have started in the living room and was making its way to the rest of the house. Miles hoped Sawyer and Juliet could make it out before it spread to the kitchen and blocked their path to the front door. Juliet's house was one of only a handful in Dharmaville that did not have a back door.

Soon a crowd gathered outside and others arrived with hoses to start working on the fire. Miles knew it had only been about five minutes since Sawyer went inside, but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion and it felt like an hour had gone by.

The hoses were pointed towards the flames and the water was turned on as Jin yelled. "Look!" A figure stumbled out the door through the smoke.

Miles, Horace, and Jin all ran forwards. Sawyer was coughing and trying to catch his breath when he fell forward. Horace caught Juliet while Miles and Jin tried to steady their friend.

"Jim, are you ok?" Miles asked.

"Fire." Sawyer managed with a weak breath and looked down.

Miles followed his gaze and found Sawyer's pant leg burning. "Hey!" He yelled to the man next to him holding a garden hose who swiftly extinguished the small flames.

"Is she ok?" Jin yelled to Horace as they led Sawyer off the porch after him.

Horace was running as fast as he could with Juliet in his arms back to the jeep. "She's barely breathing!" He called behind him. "We need to get them to the infirmary!" He laid Juliet in the backseat and hopped in front to drive.

Miles and Jin helped Sawyer into the passenger seat and they were off.

* * *

The first thing Juliet noticed was the mask over her nose and mouth. She could feel it pressed against her skin and the air she breathed seemed warmer because of it. Her eyes fluttered open and were immediately met with a bright light. She groaned and closed them again.

"Juliet." She heard and turned her head towards the sound. She opened her eyes again and found Sawyer sitting on the edge of the bed next to hers. He was wearing a hospital gown and her first thought was 'how'd they get him in that?'. Then she noticed the bandage on his leg and the soot on his face and in his hair. He smiled at seeing her awake.

"What happened?" Juliet tried to ask, but her throat was scratchy and her words came out jumbled through the mask. She reached up to pull the offending piece of plastic off her face.

Sawyer was up in an instant, his hand covering hers to stop her from pulling the mask off. She looked up at him with a look that was both confusion and irritation. "They said you gotta leave it on for a while." He explained. He lifted his hand from hers and she laid hers back at her side leaving the mask alone.

Sawyer pulled a nearby chair next to Juliet's bed and sat down. Juliet's gaze followed him everywhere waiting for an explanation. "Your house caught fire." He spoke softly. His throat was also sore from the smoke. "I got ya out and they got the fire out, but they said there's not much left."

Juliet tried to speak again and was annoyed when it didn't come out right. She attempted to move the mask again, but Sawyer stopped her by holding her hand in his own. "I guess they're right. Doctors make the worst patients." He joked. She gave him a pointed look. "You breathed in a lot of smoke. They wanna make sure you get enough oxygen back in ya." He tapped on the mask with his free hand.

They sat in silence for several moments. Juliet was processing what Sawyer told her. Her whole house gone just when it was starting to feel like home, the first home since she left Rachel in Miami. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to leave Craphole Island where she never got anything but heartache and trouble.

Sawyer watched Juliet as his words sunk in. Her features clouded over into the mask of coldness he'd almost forgotten she'd been so good at. He'd be the first to admit that for quite a while he had very much disliked Juliet, maybe even hated her. But ever since he found her on the beach drowning her sorrows in decades old Dharma rum as their freighter went down his opinions seemed to change just a little more each day. They were friends now. Good friends. And he found that over the past few months he trusted her and came to count on her. He got to know her and found he could no longer blame her for the things she'd done on the island to survive. And she knew everything about him and his past, yet she never judged. He never thought that would be possible.

They'd begun to make a life for themselves in Dharma along with Miles and Jin. Sawyer believed the four of them were as happy as they could be given their situation. They talked and laughed together, spent time together at one house or another, and ate as a group in the cafeteria when they were able. They taught Jin English and played practical jokes on Miles. On quiet

been weeks since he'd seen the ice queen façade she used to carry around so much and he finally realized how she must be feeling at hearing his news: like the island was torturing her yet again, taking away everything she had when she'd already lost so much getting stuck in the 70's. Sawyer found he wanted to ease her pain, even take it away if he could and it was a strange feeling for him. He wasn't used to having real friends that he actually cared about.

"It'll be ok, Juliet." Sawyer said while awkwardly patting her hand with his own. He thought that's what people did to comfort one another and was relieved when she gave him a weak smile in return.

Sawyer was about to say something else when the nurse waked in. Heather was short, but large with strawberry blonde hair and, like many women in the Dharma Initiative, was always looking to catch Sawyer's attention. "Good! You're awake!" She said cheerfully at seeing Juliet's eyes open. She made her way over to Juliet's bedside quickly and began taking her temperature while talking animatedly. "I heard it was quite some fire." She exclaimed. "A lot of times people don't even wake up during a fire if it's in the middle of the night." She said while pumping up a blood pressure cuff on Juliet's arm. "Aren't you lucky Mr. LaFluer was there to save you?" She batted her eyes at Sawyer who tried not to laugh as Juliet rolled her own. Heather didn't even notice. She continued on. "And getting burned in the process. Such a courageous man. We're lucky to have him in the DI." She droned on raving about Sawyer, but Juliet wasn't listening.

She'd forgotten about the bandage she saw on his leg until the nurse said he'd been burned in the fire. Had he really gotten hurt trying to help her? She couldn't remember a time when anyone had ever done such a thing for her. She looked at Sawyer and noticed he'd been watching her, unfazed by Heather's declarations of his bravery and selflessness. As much as she missed her sister and longed to go back to her she was thankful to have friends in Sawyer, Miles, and Jin. They kept her sane in the hippie commune and clearly tonight Sawyer had risked his own life to save hers. Juliet reached out taking Sawyer's hand in her own as a silent thank you as Heather finished making notes in Juliet's chart.

"Now that you're awake I'll send the doctor in." Heather said and left the room.

Juliet gave Sawyer's hand a squeeze before pulling away. She hoped the doctor would take the mask off before she had to do it herself whether Sawyer liked it or not.

Dr. Shafer appeared shortly after Heather left. He was in his forties with a full head of salt and pepper hair. He was tall and lanky making his white coat look both too small and too large at the same time.

"Good morning Juliet, Jim." He smiled and took a look at Juliet's chart. Light was beginning to filter in through the windows causing Juliet and Sawyer to realize it was, in fact, morning already. "How's the leg?" Shafer asked Sawyer as he read.

"Just fine, Doc." He replied. Juliet narrowed her eyes at him. He'd yet to explain his injury to her. He ignored her look. "Can I put my clothes back on now?" Sawyer loked down at his hospital gown with disgust.

The doctor laughed. "After I check the wound again." He turned to Juliet. "It looks like you're doing much better. I think we can go ahead and stop the oxygen."

Juliet was relieved. No more mask. The doctor turned off the oxygen tank next to the bed. She lifted her head off the pillow allowing him to remove the elastic band that went around it to hold the mask in place. "How do you feel?" He asked.

"Better." Her voice was hoarse. Sawyer handed her a glass of water from the table between their beds. She sat up and took a long drink before handing it back. "Thanks." She sounded better, but spoke softly.

Shafer checked Juliet over and made more notes in her chart. "You had some serious smoke inhalation, but you seem to be doing just fine now." He explained. "I want you to stay here in the infirmary until tomorrow at least so we can watch for any side effects. Does that sound ok?" Juliet nodded. _I don't have a house to go back to anyway._ She thought. "Good. Just rest for now." He gave her a warm smile before turning to Sawyer. "Let's have a look at that leg."

Juliet watched as Sawyer sat up on his bed and the doctor removed his bandage slowly. The skin underneath was a glistening bright pink compared to the darkened tan the rest of his leg was. Juliet knew it was a second degree burn and didn't have to be a doctor to know it hurt. It covered a large part of the outside of his lower leg. She wondered what exactly happened for him to get it.

"I'll give you some ointment to put on it and you'll need to change the dressing twice a day." The doctor told Sawyer as he redressed the wound. "You're good to go whenever you're ready."

"Thanks, Doc." Sawyer said as he finished with the bandage.

The doctor then headed to the back of the infirmary leaving Juliet and Sawyer alone again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** I feel like this chapter is not nearly as good as the first two, but I'm hoping that's just me. Please let me know what you think!

 **Disclaimer:** Lost is still not mine.

Please read and review!

 **Fire**

 **Chapter 3**

Sawyer found himself alone in the infirmary with Juliet. He knew the questions would come, but he wanted to avoid them as much as possible. He went in that house to get Juliet because he was worried about his friend and he knew there would be no way he could survive on the island with only Miles and Jin for company. He didn't expect to be called a hero. He'd first heard the word thrown around in reference to him when he arrived at the infirmary. Sawyer was certain he was not a hero and never would be. If anything he was the guy people needed savin' from.

"I wish Miles would hurry up with my clothes." He said while tugging on the neck of his gown. "I hate these things." He looked over at Juliet. She was sitting up, her back resting against her pillow. The sun had finally risen enough to shine fully through the window illuminating her deep blue eyes and golden locks. Those deep blue eyes were boring into him.

"What happened James?" She asked softly.

He knew it was coming. "I told ya." He said. "There was a fire. I helped ya get out."

"I need more than that and you know it." When she tried to raise her voice it came out hoarse and scratchy. She reached for the water on the table next to her.

Sawyer softened. He told her the whole story from being on patrol to when she woke up. "Miles and Jin came back after they got it out to check on ya. You were still sleepin'. Miles said there's not much of the house left. They left to get me some clothes. My jumpsuit was ruined. You woke up right after they left."

Juliet took the story in. "Thank you." She said after a brief moment of silence. "For getting me out."

"I got yer back Blondie." Sawyer smiled. He should have known she wouldn't make a big deal out of it. It just wouldn't be Juliet if she did. Sawyer was rewarded with a small smile before Horace entered the infirmary followed by Miles and Jin.

The first man smiled widely at seeing Juliet. "How do you feel?" Horace asked.

"Just a sore throat. I'll be fine." Juliet tried to sound cheery.

"I am glad you are ok." Jin spoke up.

"Me too." Miles said to Juliet before tossing a bag to Sawyer. "Here's your clothes, Fireman." Sawyer glared at him.

Horace chuckled at the exchange. He gestured to the foot of Juliet's bed. "May I?" He asked. She nodded and he sat on the edge of the bed. Miles plopped down next to Sawyer while Jin found a nearby chair. Juliet felt strange with three pairs of eyes on her and was thankful when Horace started talking. His face had grown serious and his voice matched.

"I'm sorry Juliet, but the house is pretty much gone." She nodded. She knew this. "There's not much salvageable in it either." She nodded again. "We think an electrical problem in the living room started the fire. We'll find you a new place as soon as possible if you're willing to stay with us."

Juliet nodded a third time and began to feel like a bobblehead. It was either start over on the island where at least she had a few friends or start over on the mainland in an even bigger world that she didn't belong in. It wasn't a hard decision. "They're going to keep me in here a day or two. Think you could find something before I get out?"

Horace smiled, happy to hear Juliet wouldn't be getting on the next sub. "I'll see what I can do." He stood up from the bed. "I'm just glad everyone's alright. I'll have Amy get some clothes and stuff together for you."

"Thank you." Juliet replied.

Horace turned to Sawyer. "Stop by my office later, Jim." The blond agreed and watched as Horace left the infirmary.

"I'm getting dressed." Sawyer announced abruptly once the infirmary doors slapped shut. He stood and retreated to the restroom at the far end of the building.

"You shoulda seen him when they were trying to get him in the gown." Miles pointed a finger in Sawyer's direction. "I ain't wearin' no damned dress." The Asian did his best impersonation of the southerner.

Juliet laughed, but it soon turned into a coughing fit. She reached for her water glass, but found it empty. Jin appeared with a new one. She took it gratefully and began to drink. She noticed Miles looking at her strangely. She'd never seen his face so full of concern.

"You sure you're ok?" He asked once she downed the water.

"I'm alright." She assured him, but she could tell he wasn't sure. "I promise." She added.

"Sonofabitch!" They heard Sawyer yell from the bathroom.

"You better be alright 'cause I can't handle that by myself." He cocked his head in Sawyer's direction.

Juliet smiled. She never once thought these three men would have become such good friends not only to each other, but to her as well. There was no one she'd rather be stuck in the seventies with.

Sawyer exited the restroom now clad in jeans and a t-shirt and rejoined his friends. The four talked for several minutes before Juliet was caught in a yawn.

"You need rest." Jin pointed out.

"Yeah." Sawyer said. "Why don't you take a nap and we'll check on you later?" Juliet agreed.

The rest of the day passed by slowly for Juliet. Amy stopped by after Juliet's nap. She brought the blonde a magazine to read and told her she'd be more than happy to have her as a roommate for a while if Horace couldn't find any empty houses. Juliet smiled and thanked her, but she knew she didn't want to live with Amy. Her friend and Horace had become the new favorite Dharma couple and Juliet knew she did not want to be there when Horace stayed over.

Juliet spent most of the afternoon reading about what was to her decades old news in the magazine Amy left. The nurse was in and out and she saw the doctor again. If all went well she would be able to leave the next morning. But where would she go? She knew the guys would let her sleep on their couch, but that wasn't a permanent solution. She wasn't sure she could handle sharing a bathroom with three men anyway.

That evening Miles and Jin returned, but there was no Sawyer. They had spent much of their day shuffling through what remained of Juliet's house. They found some clothes along with various other odds and ends. Everything was now in a couple of boxes in their living room.

"Where's James?" Juliet finally asked, surprised he hadn't come back with them.

"He's tired."

"He's doing something for Horace."

Both men spoke at once and then looked at each other before looking at Juliet. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she gave them a questioning look. Clearly something was off.

"He was doing something for Horace and then he was too tired to come." Miles explained. Jin nodded in agreement. "Big day you know."

It still didn't seem quite right to Juliet, but she decided to go with it anyway. As far as she knew he hadn't slept since before his shift the night before.

"He'll stop by in the morning. He said to give you this in case you were bored." Miles handed Juliet a copy of Carrie she hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Juliet held the book to her chest. She was stuck on an island thirty years in the past and most of her possessions had just gone up in flames, but she knew she could find comfort the familiar pages of her favorite book. Once Miles and Jin left she lost herself in the words and sentences she'd nearly memorized. She read until she couldn't keep her eyes open.

Sawyer showed up the next morning after Amy dropped off a change of clothes. "Ya ready to go?" He asked with a smile.

"Where to?"

Sawyer ran a hand through his hair. "Uhh…you'll see." He smiled again, but there was something off in his charm. Was he nervous?

Juliet grabbed her copy of Carrie off the bedside table, the only thing she had with her besides the clothes she was wearing. "Thanks for the book." She held it up.

"No problem." He gave her a dimpled smile. "Let's go." He cocked his head towards the door and they walked through it together.

They walked along the sidewalk that wound its way through little yellow houses. The few people they passed smiled and waved. They went the opposite direction from where Juliet's previous house was. She looked back and saw the charred remains of her home.

Sawyer caught her looking and elbowed her softly. She looked up surprised. "You ok?" He asked.

She wasn't sure yet. "Where are we going?" She asked again.

"Right here." He took a sudden turn up the walkway to the porch of a house that Juliet had always known to be empty. He held the front door open for Juliet.

She found a house much like all of the others. It was a little larger than her last one and was already fully furnished. A couch, arm chair, kitchen table. Looked good so far, but it didn't make sense. She tried to remember why no had been living here.

"So what do ya think?" Sawyer's nervousness was back.

It suddenly dawned on her. This had been Amy's house when they first arrived. She'd moved out within the first week. She couldn't bear to live there without Paul. Juliet looked around again and back to Sawyer. "This is the head of security's house." She pointed out.

"It is."

"I don't understand."

"Remember how Horace asked me to stop by his office yesterday?"

Juliet nodded.

"Well…yer lookin' at the new head o' security."

Juliet broke into a smile. "That's great!" She wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I'm so proud of you."

Sawyer grinned. He'd never felt more proud of himself than when he heard Juliet's reaction. He was living a lie thirty years in the past, but he liked his job. It was the first real job he'd ever had and although he knew there was something seriously twisted about him, a self-described lowlife, confidence man, and bad guy, working in security he still worked hard and wanted to do well.

Juliet released him and looked around again, spinning in a circle as she did so. "So this is your house then?" She smiled.

His hand went through is hair again, his one nervous gesture. "Well…yeah, but it's yer house too." He watched her reaction, but before she could say anything he continued. "Since we just got recruits there aren't any empty houses. This is two bedroom and I just thought maybe you'd rather live here than with a hippie." It all came out much faster than he expected. He stopped to catch his breath.

"So we'll be roommates?" Juliet asked.

Sawyer nodded. "I thought this could be your room." She followed him down the hall to the first room on the right after the bathroom. The walls were white and the room was dominated by the large bed which was done in lavender sheets. There was a dresser and a closet, a nightstand and a lamp, Juliet thought it was perfect. Sawyer looked at her expectantly. "What do you think?"

She smiled. "I love it. You got yourself a roommate." They'd have to work out bathroom rules and divide the chores, but she had a feeling they could make it work.


End file.
